Adeleke died of drug overdose – Coroner

The coroner inquest inaugurated by Osun State Government to investigate the death of Senator Isiaka Adeleke on Tuesday upheld the autopsy and toxicology reports carried out on the late politician at the Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) Teaching Hospital.

The coroner, Chief Magistrate Olusegun Ayilara, said the politician died of drug overdose and not food poisoning.

He said evidences and witnesses’ accounts before the panel revealed that Adeleke died of drug overdose.

He said: “I have critically gone through all the evidence before me. From the totality of evidence, the possibility of poisoning of the deceased is not sustainable.

“I have not been able to trace any link to poisoning by anybody. The autopsy report and also the toxicologist report are very specific to say there were no traces of poison or heavy metal in the blood of the deceased. Therefore it is my firm opinion that he was not poisoned, I so hold.”

The evidences of the pathologist, Dr. Femi Solaja, the toxicologist, Police Forensic expert, DSP Benedict Agboh, and Prof. Akeem Lasisi, Chief Medical Director of LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, scientifically pointed to the fact that the death of the deceased was caused by aspiration of the gastric content which blocked his airwaves as a result of high level of alcohol, sedative and analgesic which caused the vital senses centre in the brain to shut down resulting in death.”

He said the nurse that treated the deceased before he died, Mr. Alfred Aderibigbe, tried to puncture the scientific evidence by denying administering overdose on Adeleke while treating him for gout.

The coroner said Aderibigbe’s attempt failed because the evidence he gave in court and the police statement he made were contradictory.

The coroner added: “The deceased did not die of food poisoning, the deceased had an administration of overdose of sedative and analgesic by an unqualified personnel, Alfred Aderibigbe, through intravenous means which action was hastened by the presence of alcohol in the system.

“The deceased had patronised the said Aderibigbe for about 20 years and had taken treatment from him without doctors’ prescription and that the high dose of sedative and analgesic with the mode of administration caused his death.

“So, I recommend that the qualification of Aderibigbe should be further investigated to be sure he is qualified as he claims. I also recommend that that the office of the Department of Public Prosecution should look into the case file of Aderibigbe with them in order to determine the appropriate charges, if any, to be pressed against him.

“The public should be sensitised by the government on the need to visit and patronise only qualified medical personnel in treatment of their ailments.”